Job 31

¹I reached an agreement with my eyes, that I would not so much as think about a virgin.

²For what portion should God from above hold for me, and what inheritance should the Almighty from on high keep?

³Is not destruction held for the wicked and repudiation kept for those who work injustice?

⁴Does he not examine my ways and number all my steps?

⁵If I have walked in vanity, or if my foot has hurried towards deceitfulness,

⁶let him weigh me in a just balance, and let God know my simplicity.

⁷If my steps have turned aside from the way, or if my heart has followed my eyes, or if a blemish has clung to my hands,

⁸then may I sow, and let another consume, and let my offspring be eradicated.

⁹If my heart has been deceived over a woman, or if I have waited in ambush at my friend’s door,

¹⁰then let my wife be the harlot of another, and let other men lean over her.

¹¹For this is a crime and a very great injustice.

¹²It is a fire devouring all the way to perdition, and it roots out all that springs forth.

¹³If I have despised being subject to judgment with my servant or my maid, when they had any complaint against me,

¹⁴then what will I do when God rises to judge, and, when he inquires, how will I respond to him?

¹⁵Is not he who created me in the womb, also he who labored to make him? And did not one and the same form me in the womb?

¹⁶If I have denied the poor what they wanted and have made the eyes of the widow wait;

¹⁷if I have eaten my morsel of food alone, while orphans have not eaten from it;

¹⁸(for from my infancy mercy grew with me, and it came out with me from my mother’s womb;)

¹⁹if I have looked down on him who was perishing because he had no clothing and the poor without any covering,

²⁰if his sides have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

²¹if I have lifted up my hand over an orphan, even when it might seem to me that I have the advantage over him at the gate;

²²then may my shoulder fall from its joint, and may my arm, with all its bones, be broken.

²³For I have always feared God, like waves flowing over me, whose weight I was unable to bear.

²⁴If I have considered gold to be my strength, or if I have called purified gold ‘my Trust;’

²⁵if I have rejoiced over my great success, and over the many things my hand has obtained;

²⁶if I gazed upon the sun when it shined and the moon advancing brightly,

²⁷so that my heart rejoiced in secret and I kissed my hand with my mouth,

²⁸which is a very great iniquity and a denial against the most high God;

²⁹if I have been glad at the ruin of him who hated me and have exulted that evil found him,

³⁰for I have not been given my throat to sin by asking for a curse on his soul;

³¹if the men around my tabernacle have not said: “He might give us some of his food, so that we will be filled,”

³²for the foreigner did not remain at the door, my door was open to the traveler;

³³if, as man does, I have hidden my sin and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom;

³⁴if I became frightened by an excessive crowd, and the disrespect of close relatives alarmed me, so that I would much rather have remained silent or have gone out the door;

³⁵then, would he grant me a hearing, so that the Almighty would listen to my desire, and he who judges would himself write a book,

³⁶which I would then carry on my shoulder and wrap around me like a crown?

³⁷With each of my steps, I would pronounce and offer it, as if to a prince.

³⁸So, if my land cries out against me, and if its furrows weep with it,

³⁹if I have used its fruits for nothing but money and have afflicted the souls of its tillers,

⁴⁰then, may thistles spring forth for me instead of grain, and thorns instead of barley. (This ended the words of Job.)

Job 31

¹I made a covenant with my eyes, that I would not so much as think upon a virgin.

²For what part should God from above have in me, and what inheritance the Almighty from on high?

³Is not destruction to the wicked, and aversion to them that work iniquity?

⁴Doth not he consider my ways, and number all my steps?

⁵If I have walked in vanity, and my foot hath made haste to deceit:

⁶Let him weigh me in a just balance, and let God know my simplicity.

⁷If my step hath turned out of the way, and if my heart hath followed my eyes, and if a spot hath cleaved to my hands:

⁸Then let me sow and let another reap: and let my offspring be rooted out.

⁹If my heart hath been deceived upon a woman, and if I have laid wait at my friend's door:

¹⁰Let my wife be the harlot of another, and let other men lie with her.

¹¹For this is a heinous crime, and a most grievous iniquity.

¹²It is a fire that devoureth even to destruction, and rooteth up all things that spring.

¹³If I have despised to abide judgment with my manservant, or my maidservant, when they had any controversy against me:

¹⁴For what shall I do when God shall rise to judge? and when he shall examine, what shall I answer him?

¹⁵Did not he that made me in the womb make him also: and did not one and the same form me in the womb?

¹⁶If I have denied to the poor what they desired, and have made the eyes of the widow wait:

¹⁷If I have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof:

¹⁸(For from my infancy mercy grew up with me: and it came out with me from my mother's womb:)

¹⁹If I have despised him that was perishing for want of clothing, and the poor man that had no covering:

²⁰If his sides have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep:

²¹If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, even when I saw myself superior in the gate:

²²Let my shoulder fall from its joint, and let my arm with its bones be broken.

²³For I have always feared God as waves swelling over me, and his weight I was unable to bear.

²⁴If I have thought gold my strength, and have said to fine gold: My confidence:

²⁵If I have rejoiced over my great riches, and because my hand had gotten much.

²⁶If I beheld the sun when it shined and the moon going in brightness:

²⁷And my heart in secret hath rejoiced, and I have kissed my hand with my mouth:

²⁸Which is a very great iniquity, and a denial against the most high God.

²⁹If I have been glad at the downfall of him that hated me, and have rejoiced that evil had found him.

³⁰For I have not been given my mouth to sin, by wishing a curse to his soul.

³¹If the men of my tabernacle have not said: Who will give us of his flesh that we may be filled?

³²The stranger did not stay without, my door was open to the traveller.

³³If as a man I have hid my sin, and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom.

³⁴If I have been afraid at a very great multitude, and the contempt of kinsmen hath terrified me: and have not rather held my peace, and not gone out of the door.

³⁵Who would grant me a hearing, that the Almighty may hear my desire: and that he himself that judgeth would write a book,

³⁶That I may carry it on my shoulder, and put it about me as a crown?

³⁷At every step of mine I would pronounce it, and offer it as to a prince.

³⁸If my land cry against me, and with it the furrows thereof mourn:

³⁹If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have afflicted the son of the tillers thereof:

⁴⁰Let thistles grow up to me instead of wheat, and thorns instead of barley.